


The Reason Why

by thebookwasbetter



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Domestic Disputes, Domestic Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Heartbreak, M/M, Multi, Romance, Sexual Content, Spoilers, neglected children, slight naruhina, slight sasusaku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:06:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3436274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebookwasbetter/pseuds/thebookwasbetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Canon AU. The war is over, the shinobi world is at peace; Naruto and Sasuke have both started their own families as well as come to terms with the bond between them. All is as it should have ended. Then why does something feel missing. Rated M sasunaru/narusasu</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Naruto sensed the chakra signature as soon as it entered the village. He wasn’t a sensory type, and the user did not try to hide themselves, but regardless he would have been able to know that specific trace from anywhere.

After all, he had spent a majority of his life searching for it.

However, he was surprised when the chakra signature quickly made its way towards the hokage tower after letting itself be known, and soon after the presence of its wielder came forth through the window.

Sasuke looked good, and had changed so much from the last time he had seen him nearly four months prior. His hair had grown longer, yet somehow was able to still retain the spikes in the back. His face had also aged, now having distinctive marks under his eyes similar to Itachi, that showed the wear of his features caused by his latest travels. He wore a long cape like jacket that concealed most of clothes, sword, as well as missing arm.

Sasuke chose to leave the village before Tsunade could finish his new Zetsu arm. He went on a quest of redemption to atone for his sins, as he so claimed, but to also go out in search of new information regarding Kaguya and why she had wanted to create a Zetsu army in the first place. After fighting Toneri it made more sense for Sasuke to go out on this quest, so this type of power wasn’t again revived. However, Sasuke did return to the village, just months after Naruto’s wedding. This was before the advent of portable computers, so Sasuke was a bit surprised to see his former rival married and in the process of becoming the seventh hokage, which was the reason Sasuke had returned at all what with this type of news spreading all over the five great nations. As for the wedding, Naruto wished his best friend could have come, but things had gone so fast in those moments and he supposed he had made Hinata wait enough, or at least everyone told him as such.

However, Sasuke did return, and he and Sakura got close, with Naruto being so busy. Apparently the two ninja got really close, and when Hinata announced that she was pregnant, Sakura called the same day to tell the new Uzumaki the same news, that she too was pregnant. Shortly after, the two shinobi got married and moved in together. Having pregnant wives was a trying time for Naruto and Sasuke, but they were surprisingly able to bond together over this new dilemma, for neither of them realized how ill tempered the two kunochi could turn when their hormones were out of whack.

Naruto had to mourn the loss of ramen for nine months because the smell apparently made Hinata sick, and when Naruto jokingly assumed that the kid probably wasn’t his due to that fact, Hinata became so saddened that Naruto spent the next two weeks on his couch instead of with his wife in bed. Naruto then had to ask Sasuke how to make amends on how to reconcile with his pregnant wife, for although he was incredibly romantic when he wanted too, pregnancy was completely out of his element. Sasuke was good to ask, since apparently he constantly had to make amends. Sasuke then was consistently seeking Naruto’s council on how to be the slightest bit romantic and caring, for although he did love his wife, his people skills were what really made him exceptionally stupid. The two shinobi were always there for each other when the other needed help.  
If Naruto could give any advice to Sasuke now in regards to his marriage it would be to stop leaving his family behind for such long missions.

It was perfect for awhile. Both of the village outcasts had two healthy children. Naruto and Hinata a boy named Baruto, whose middle name was Ramen, at least to Naruto. Sasuke and Sakura had a beautiful little girl named Sarada, whose middle name was Tomato, at least Naruto had a very feeling Sasuke would have placed that as her middle name if possible. Besides that, Naruto had become Hokage. His lifelong dream had come true. He had gotten the villages respect, and trained from becoming the dead last to the village hero. He had formed amazing bonds with some incredible people, he had saved his very first friend, and now he had a family. Also the village was at peace, and it allowed for a change in economy to rely less on the income of ninja and more on technological advancement. However, this took a lot of time and was changing the ninja world into a different age. It wasn’t the revolution Sasuke was going for, but for now, after the fourth great ninja war things were going well.

Well for the village, but not really his family. Being Hokage ended up taking more time then he would like to admit. Okay, it took up enough time for Baruto to write “Shitty dad” on the face of the mountain a few days ago for the world to see. Naruto guessed, he couldn’t really judge Sasuke for constantly leaving his family, since Naruto neglected his family by living in the village, and he was the one who granted permission for such long missions. But the damn Teme was the one who kept asking for them!

Why didn’t Naruto ever try to stop Sasuke from continuing on this quest of knowledge. It was very much necessary, and Sasuke was able to bring a lot of intel for the village. Although at times it seemed as if he just left for these villages in order to stay away from his own village. Not his family but the village itself. That’s why he refused to have an arm made for him, because he was still bitter and would never truly forgive it. Maybe he was plotting to still find his revolution through different tactics of pretending to cope with the system that ended up taking so much from him.

Maybe Naruto was just upset at seeing someone else be the one to save Sasuke and make him finally happy. NO! Naruto mentally shook his head. He trusted Sasuke, and more was that Sasuke was like a brother to him, and all he wanted was for him to finally find his peace. For sure Sasuke felt the same about the former jinchuriki; in the valley of the end he even compared to seeing Itachi when he thought of Naruto. Someone to look up to. He would want Naruto to be happy and not alone as well, he wouldn’t leave the village just because Naruto now had a wife.

Right. Of course definitely. It’s not like Naruto ever went down this line of thinking anyway.

That’s not the point though. Things were going so well that first year of the two families raising their children. Of course Sasuke was sent on missions, even Hinata and Sakura were as well on occasion, after their maternity leave. Although the two preferred to work in the village. Naruto was working in the village as Hokage, nonstop trying to make sure the peace that was established had stabilized along with the changing city. Sakura eventually was promoted to head medic and started working full time at the hospital. Sasuke and Naruto grew closer at these times oddly enough. Finally getting the chance to develop their bond after such chaotic lives. They loved their children dearly and were continually meeting up outside of assigning missions, for their kids to meet, just like their own mothers had wanted for the two boys. The four of them also met up for Ichiraku Ramen, but more often than not Sasuke and Naruto just ended up coming together alone because the two of them were just more comfortable together then as a group of four. Their wives saw no issue with it as they too were always together and close. Besides they understood of the past and subsequent bond the two shared. Now Naruto rarely went to Ichiraku with anyone, claiming to have too much work and surviving on ramen noodles instead. The two women understand the connection that Sasuke and Naruto had, for the women had taken them years to build the bonds after struggling to truly understand what the heroes had had to endure throughout their lives. They were alone in so many ways, and their families had only recently been able to come and fill some of that void.

However, everyone in the village did find it odd how the two outcasts had grown closer with their subsequent growing families. It is reminiscent to how they would meet to figure out how to deal with their wives, always ending with mindless chatter between the two of them until they realized they had families to care for. Now they met to talk of happy times and their children, again just enjoying finally being able to appreciate their lack of loneliness and thus fully realize each other’s company with nothing else in their paths to worry them.

Hinata found out she was pregnant again by the end of that first year and had decided to stay back in the village and go over the Hyugga disputes regarding the branch and main families. She said it was something she finally needed to start on for Neji. It was during this time that Naruto started spending more time with his family and Sasuke requesting to resume his search of Kaguya.

After that, the perfect world Naruto saw started to dim.

He has never regretted any of the decisions in his life, except for not reaching out to Sasuke when they were kids. So he was happy with his wife and children, but when Sasuke started to leave the village again and again his home somehow started to feel incomplete, It wasn’t like he saw the bastard every day, and he trusted that Sasuke had finally found his path, but he truly felt the loss of not having Sasuke near.

Sasuke would travel to places where internet would be rare, however he frequently checked in with his family through the communication of laptops and reported back to his Hokage when necessary, but that always ended up taking longer than either man expected. A part of Naruto wished though Sasuke would stay for him if nothing else. The same way Naruto would chase after Sasuke to bring him back home. Although, now that just seemed incredibly selfish.

Naruto knew Sasuke was happy now, with Sakura and Sarada. He knew Sasuke was an incredible shinobi seeking to right the wrongs of this world. Why was it then, that right now, when they looked upon each other, they couldn’t help realize that they were here in the middle of the night alone again, instead of with the families they now had.

“Sasuke. “ It was good to see him, he would admit it always was. It was a type of good that made him feel whole. Something within him that caused him to search for his friend for all those years. It was what made a life without Sasuke in it feel incomplete, a life that he never could contemplate. They would either both die or save him and bring him home. It was an emotion he was scared to admit that he hadn’t felt with anyone else, something that he refused to admit to himself was solely with this sharingan wielder. “Why are you here?”


	2. I Blame You

Hn. Shouldn’t I be asking you that dobe. It’s already past midnight.”

“I have the excuse of being the Hokage teme, what about you coming home after months of being on a mission, and you come to me instead of your wife, how scandalous. You know there are still rumors on your sexuality.” Naruto, of course was jesting. Slightly. “But, speaking of missions have you any news regarding Kaguya now that you’re here. No wait, seriously why didn’t you tell us you were coming back.” 

At this point Sasuke was rubbing his head from the rapid fire questions and responses coming from the Hokage. 

“Ne, does your head hurt or something Sasuke. You’re looking a little pale. Well Paler than Usual.”

At that, Sasuke’s body had the audacity to blush. No he was simply going red in irritation he assured himself, as an Uchiha he couldn’t perform such a novelty especially in the presence of the Yellow haired dobe. 

Naruto had grown. Aside from getting taller, and his hair getting shorter, there was also a sense of maturity about him now. He was no longer the attention seeking ruffian that had to gloat about how strong he was. Now he simply conveyed it in the simple way he stood in his orange hooded jacket and black pants. His hokage cape was hanging off his chair in front of his laptop, and his face now looking at Sasuke curiously, showed how he had lost all semblance of his baby fat, but his eyes were able to still sparkle with warmth and hope as he looked upon the former traitor in curiosity. However, if one were to stare into the blue depths of those ocean like eyes, they could also see the weariness and lingering worry in them. as if something had been troubling the jinchuriki for quite some time.

Sasuke realized he had been staring at Naruto for a little too long, so regaining his internal composure, he cleared his throat and started going through Naruto’s questions. 

“ I have gone to see my family Hokage-Sama. Sarada is asleep, and you know Sakura wouldn’t let me go for a few days if I went to see her at the hospital. She has informed me that my white Zetsu arm is complete. I had thought that before I return to them that you would like a report of what I was able to discover.” 

Sasuke decided to be as formal as possible to get all this over with, even using the honorific he hadn’t let touch his lips for how many years. It was good to see Naruto, he would admit that he had missed the blonde who always tried to make the world see some semblance of sense. However, seeing him also brought out that bitterness, that Naruto knew where his life was going and although his life was filled with incomparable hardship, he still followed his future with hope, and without doubt of what he was doing. Looking at him now though showed Naruto in a new light that Sasuke didn’t care to see.

Naruto definitely appeared older both physically, as well as in attitude. He held himself the way a Hokage was meant to, although it seemed to Sasuke he let more of his childish mischief creep back into his personality in his presence. At least, Sasuke hoped so. 

“I see. Well then Uchiha Sasuke, what do you have to report from your latest mission.”

Naruto said it with a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, playing along with whatever Sasuke was aiming for. It seems he wanted to say something more, but decided to let it go, seems he really had grown up.

“The reason Toneri needed to marry Hinata was to repopulate the fallen Kaguya clan. Hanabi’s eyes were necessary for him to activate his moons eye plan, but Hinata was needed in order for the people of the moon to once again come to fruition. He needed main branch blood, and moreover from the heads of the clan, for the power of the Byakugan is less distilled in them. It seems that in each generation the Byakugan changes from its original holder Homura. What that means, is that the eyes will eventually stop being able to have power of the moon, except in the holders of the main branch family, as in those of Hiashi’s specific bloodline. Moreover, women are the ones who are able to pass down the Byakugan gene, so it was necessary that he only used Hiashi’s daughters. As far as why Kaguya wanted to build a white Zetsu army of the entire human race, I still don’t know. I can only speculate that if it was in tandem with Toneri that she wanted to create a populace that could survive the earth’s destruction for Toneri to use on the moon. And of course all this was because both believed that Hogoromo had made a mistake in giving chakra to men, for humanities misuse of it through violence.

There was silence as Naruto let Sasuke’s words sink in before he replied: “Wow I didn’t know you could use so many words at once.”

Sasuke made to leave.

“Wait Teme! I’m sorry I’ll take your words seriously. Thank you, this has actually cleared up a lot for what has been happening, and with this now we can take steps to make sure we can avoid such devastation. Hm, who knew my wife was so necessary to the end of the world.”

“Hn. Speaking of wives weren’t you insisting that I should be returning to mine. Why are you still here? 

For Sasuke to actually say his name, Naruto knew he was serious about his question. It made a little tingly sensation inside to think the raven might actually worry for him, despite his tries to hide such feelings.

“Eh, you know, being Hokage takes a lot of work. The amount of paperwork hasn’t diminished even though we’ve switched to laptops. But Ah! They should really inform the public more about all the damn filing that needs to be done, but probably there would be less candidates who would accept the position. Besides it’s really just tonight, I’m usually home with the kids anyway.” Naruto replied while scratching his cheek and looking off to the left by the end of his little explanation.

“Oh, so you’re with your kids often enough, that that son of yours knows you’re a shitty dad?”

“What! Bolt was supposed to clean that off! I don’t understand why that kid is so upset, or what Hinata’s doing with him. Doesn’t he realize how difficult it is for me to be away, how hard trying to create and maintain a revolution is.   
Huh, guess having this title, and the villages recognition isn’t all it was cracked up to be.” Naruto by the end was just muttering to himself. “Eh! You’re one to talk Teme! At least my kids see me daily!”

“Dobe did I mention anything about Sarada? Besides how long have you been in this office. Even I feel the need to point out that your stupid ass has probably been in here for too long,” Sasuke judged this by the multitudes of ramen cups around, but considering this was Naruto it could have just been from today, “ and I still can’t comprehend how you ended up with the future heir of the Hyaugu clan.”

“Oh that, I just realized the difference between loving a human, and loving ramen.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a long time, as the Hokage moved to sit in his seat, placing his hands behind his head. As he stared up at Sasuke, he noticed his rivals face to be completely blank.

“…uh, what?”

“It doesn’t matter even if you have become Hokage, you’ll never be more than an idiot dobe.”

“TEME!”

Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk and slightly chuckle. It’s not a real smile or laugh, but Naruto’s happy to see it. He hasn’t seen his friend in a while, and he worries that he might be slipping back into the loneliness that should have been over with. 

“Come on you bastard, you need to trust me, it was really romantic. A kiss under the moon and all that shit.” Naruto tries to answer proudly with a puff of his chest. 

“Well from my experience with you it couldn’t have been all that great, which brings me back to my question on how the Hyuga princess is still with you.” His smirk progressively grew bigger as he commented.

“You asshole we don’t mention that kiss! And your one to talk. When you returned to the village and stayed for a year, you were the one who kept coming to me to know what was appropriate to do for relationships. Hm, teme now what do you say to that? I don’t understand why a girl like Sakura would wait around for a bastard like you.”

“Yeah, well neither do I.” 

Sasuke said this with a frown, and the atmosphere in the room become much more depressing. Naruto, not wanting to get into the conversation of women’s unrelenting feelings, decided to change topics. 

“How long will you stay this time? I mean it’s been a while since you’ve stayed for over three months. I’m sure Sarada and Sakura would appreciate seeing you more often.”

“Oh is it just my wife and kids” Sasuke replied with another smirk, lightening the mood that Naruto was aiming for.

“ Yeah Teme, trust me it’s just them.” However Naruto’s body decided to answer as well by blushing.

“I don’t know how long I’m going stay. I only returned because a few sources regarding the Hyuga clan led me back to the village, and I thought I would report what I was able to find so far. I suppose I’ll be gone again soon.” 

“You know you’ve found out more about the Otsutsuki clan than we ever were planning. I think it would be good for you to have a break, spend some time in the village. Come home for a while.”

“Naruto, you know full well I’m still adamant about creating a revolution, and not a technological one. There may be peace now in the ninja world, but the same system is still in place, and that means nothing is preventing more unnecessary violence to occur.”

“What are you talking about Sasuke. You came home, you have a family, and there is peace. If you won’t stay, then as your hokage, I just won’ give you the mission to leave.”  
“hahaha” Sasuke chuckled a throaty laugh beneath his breath, as his shoulders shook. “Naruto, I had told you in the valley of the end that I did consider you a genuine friend, but I never forgave this village or what it stands for. I may have respected you and forgave the elders for killing off my entire clan, but this village is not my home, so I take no orders from you on whether I get to leave or not.”

Naruto, was shocked as Sasuke’s words washed over him, (really, since the teme was getting paid for these missions) but that soon dissipated to a sheer rage. What was this bastard talking about. Had he not spent most of his life chasing this stubborn prick to bring him back to the village, so that they could be together again. Wasn’t he supposed to have taken away Sasuke’s pain away. How was Naruto ever going to able to call the Leaf his home if Sasuke was not there with him.

However, Naruto had grown, and the role of Hokage was not some title given out easily. Instead of reacting in rage the way he wanted to, he took a deep shuddering breath, and answered Sasuke by calling out the bluff that was obvious in the undertone of his words. 

“Why are you with Sakura Sasuke? Do you even love the family you consistently leave behind seeking to reform a world all by yourself, when you have an entire village to back you up.”

Sasuke seemed surprised, probably because he had been expecting one the Uzumaki’s famous childish outbursts filled with irrationality. Instead Naruto’s words played on Sasuke’s oldest fears, of always being alone, but now he wasn’t. With that in mind Sasuke knew that it was not Naruto in his way, but the damn retched ninja system he had to thwart, and given his name was once in the bingo book, it surmounted to a reputation of a character not many would want to follow. 

“ You are one to talk, as we have already established you spend too much time away from your family. Besides, we both know that I do have genuine feelings for my family. I grew to love Sakura in that first year I stayed in Konoha, and when I returned after your engagement ceremony. I have always admired her strength, and unwavering feelings. It was only when I saw her become her own person, and felt her love for me as something that was not just because I was some fantasy of hers, and she could live a life without me, that I realized I wanted her in my life as well. And before you go on to say anything about Sarada, I love my daughter and show it the way my father never showed me. Granted Itachi didn’t give me much of a choice but to restart the Uchiha clan, if I was not going to be in love or happy, then I would have never bothered restarting the Uchiha name.”

He said all this with his lone arm grasping his shoulder, as if to somehow put a barrier between himself and Naruto. 

By this point Naruto was smiling goofily at actually hearing his closest friend confess some sappy feelings, and began addressing other issues to see what more he could get out of the stoic raven: “why’d you leave –“

“ It makes no sense, how you couldn’t have realized the Hyuga’s love. It was obvious to everyone, but more so to you because you have never experienced it. You’ve stopped entire battles because of your explanations of what it means to love.” Sasuke interrupted Naruto’s train of thoughts, with his eyebrows pulled together, and wiped the smile off the Hokage’s face.

Well, that came out of nowhere. 

“What do you mean, you had no choice?” Naruto asked, recalling what Sasuke had just said with shocking clarity.

“I asked first” Sasuke replied.

“Don’t start acting bratty, besides you interrupted my question anyway” Naruto retorted with a slight puff to his cheeks.

“That wasn’t the question you were going to ask.”

Naruto could sense that they were starting to tread on dangerous water, which this conversation could slowly sink to places that they had avoided for so long. No, a conversation that was much too late to be had.

This time though. Anger won out, and years of skirting around the distance built up between to the two rivals, became so thick in the air around that Naruto wanted to nothing more than to break, to finally be free of any doubts.

“Fine. Maybe I saw Hinata all those years. You know I saw you too, Sasuke. You know what the difference was, I knew that she would always be there. Even I have a limit at my patience! But don’t give me that crap that you were pressured into restoring the Uchiha clan. I know it’s a cursed group, and that you hope Sarada never has to go through the pains that you did because of that power. Now tell me, why you left me!”

Naruto was beyond astonished. How did they reach this point. How could he have told Sasuke such things, he could never tell what the damn Uchiha was playing at, and he knew what Sasuke had gone through, and he was pulling low blows. He knew whatever walls he had stripped down with Sasuke were probably being rebuilt by his stupidity. But what had he just confessed! Even Naruto couldn’t fully comprehend what he had just blurted out, and he couldn’t tell what Sasuke was thinking as his eyes slowly grew, but kept the rest of his face composed.

“Hn. I guess we both are exceptionally stupid…” Sasuke mumbled under his breath, in a way that Naruto didn’t fully catch what he said.

“What?” 

“What did you want me to do? After the Valley of the end, I thought things would to start to clear on the path I was meant to take. You, you always complicate everything. I was more confused than I ever had been, and I thought leaving would give me time to adjust to a life that I was finally free to choose. I thought that what we said there would finish anything uncertain between us. That you are the closest person to me…why am I telling you any of this. We’re both broken and we can’t ever fix each other. I think I’ve made sure of that… This is a dangerous conversation Naruto, we shouldn’t continue it.”   
Sasuke was becoming flustered, and it wasn’t a feeling he was comfortable with. Why was it that he always lost his composure with Naruto, and that he felt this insane need to always protect and be honest with the idiot. He, the dobe, had a happy life now, he did not need Sasuke ruining it, no matter what they both may have started to let show that they felt. 

Sasuke began to turn to leave, but Naruto had stood and grabbed his wrist before he could make a full rotation.

“Sasuke, I think we’ve both avoided this conversation enough. Even the Valley of the end didn’t address anything. It’s time you stop running”  
It was as if Naruto aged right before his obsidian eyes. He was someone so wise and in that moment so confident, while Sasuke was trying to suppress feeling anything that was beginning to bubble forward.

Naruto, was actually terrified. He knew he shouldn’t be going down this road with Sasuke. He knew that he should be home with his family. With Hinata who always waited up for him, and children who refused to fall asleep as they lay in bed till they got a bedtime kiss from their father. A family he loved. And who loved him, who he knew was stable and he would always have. Something concrete, and exactly the calm and genuine sweetness he needed. People who depended whole heartedly on him.

“Don’t put on a strong face for me Naruto. Why are you stopping me from going back to my family?”

Naruto’s grip on Sasuke’s wrist tightened ever so slightly. He didn’t know what he was doing. Sasuke was unpredictable and had broken his heart so many times, and it didn’t matter that he understood how that pain had changed Sasuke. It still hurt, like that chidori would forever be lodged in his chest. 

But Sasuke, he had also made him the happiest in times he was completely down. He knew Sasuke on a complete level. And knew the heart inside him that so rarely made its presence known. Sasuke was strong and took action to what he thought was right. He put aside his own happiness to try to reach a point that could protect others. Naruto saw all this, and to see Sasuke hurt like that was just too much.

“Sasuke…I…can’t…” 

Naruto didn’t know what he wanted to say. He knew what he needed to do, but he couldn’t bring himself to let the raven go, like he always did. He was trying to be selfless in this moment, or was it selfish to try to make Sasuke completely euphoric.

“Why aren’t you with your family Hakage-sama”

He barley heard the words being uttered. Naruto hesitated, and couldn’t find any words to say. His mouth had gone dry, and it was only then that he realized how close their faces were to each other. How they had finally crossed the path of conversation that opened to too many gateways.

“Naruto, why are you still here.”

It really came down to this didn’t it. Why were they both really still here?

And Naruto closed his eyes while leaning the necessary inches forward, for the two to finally, finally share their second kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note-if you saw the last Naruto the movie, the credits show Naruto and Hinata at their engagement ceremony. It is not their wedding, but regardless Sasuke was not there.   
> Also, Sasuke was in the village for a year before he left on his quest for Kaguya. 
> 
> This is the first fanfic I'm writing that isn't a pwp, so any comments would be very much appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> I am not completely sure where this story is going, nor do I have a set update schedule. I appreciate all forms of concrit! Also this work will be based off of information from both the Naruto manga, anime, and movies, especially The Last Naruto the Movie.


End file.
